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Manti Te'o saga shed light new world of human interaction

The Manti Te'o saga is about human interaction, and what's become of it. A world where emoticons substitute for emotions, and to get a glimpse of a person's heart, forget looking into the eyes. Just the screen

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – As the Manti Te'o mess zigs this way and zags that, we see the workings of a true 21st century scandal. But first, let me tweet about that . . .

In the end, this is not about a Notre Dame linebacker. Manti Te'o will come and go, whatever his fate. This is about human interaction, and what's become of it. A world where emoticons substitute for emotions, and to get a glimpse of a person's heart, forget looking into the eyes. Just look at your screen.

Where you can have the deepest and richest relationships. Friendship. Support. Romance. Love. Even better if the people on the other end are really who they say they are. But that can be iffy, which is why ``catfishing'' is now ironed onto the 2013 lexicon.

A phantom girlfriend online? The most depressing part is not what happened to Te'o, whatever it was. But that it could happen. That it has happened. Relationships that were faceless, voiceless, touchless, wireless.

For company, the lonely go to where the people are. There is no shortage of those who are deft in the art of texting, tweeting, messaging. See all their smiling screen names? How many followers do you have? A hundred? A thousand?

But to look at someone else face to face and actually talk to them? Gee, there's a tough one.

The guts of the Te'o matter is made of chips and keyboards. It is a thoroughly modern uproar. Read any detailed account of this you wish. You will not read so much of what people actually said, but what people posted and punched.

Deadspin.com did not break its story and make its case from exhaustive interviews of sources. It did that by Googling and chasing past electronic messages.

When Notre Dame said it hired outside investigators, it did not mean former FBI agents, hardened in the skill of finding clues. It meant experts in social media. The investigation findings came not from talking to witnesses, but the study of online traffic.

Remember the famous phrase from when the Washington Post was pursing the Watergate scandal? Follow the money. Now, we follow the twitter trail.

This affair was created online, revealed online, then retweeted everywhere. If indeed, Te'o was the victim of a hoax, what was the payoff for the perps? Once, fraud was used to get money. Now, apparently with this brand of deceit, there is satisfaction not in stolen bank accounts, but stolen time and stolen dignity. What a very odd motive.

No wonder this is such a confusing story. Looking for clarity and accountability in good ol' cyberspace? Good luck.

We are not going back, of course. That was yesterday, this is today, and heaven knows what will pass for human interaction tomorrow. What we do know is that in a world with such open doors to each other, many have never been lonelier. What we know is that, while so much has been gained, something has been lost.

That even goes to education. You've seen the advertisements. Get your degree online! Quick! Easy! Inexpensive!

And maybe you can graduate without ever actually speaking in person to another living, breathing soul. Then you can go into the world prepared to –- what, work and mingle with people?

The lesson of the Te'o scandal, however it shakes down, is how perilous and empty modern communication can be, creating an artificial landscape where you can be intimate and anonymous at the same time.

This story comes to us from social media. Some days, it ain't all that social.

One thing that has been remarkably steady in a season full of surprises has been the performance of Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o, center, taking aim at a Wake Forest ballcarrier Saturday. (Photo: Matt Cashore, US Presswire)

If the USA TODAY Sports Media Group survey is any indicator, Notre Dame senior Manti Te'o at the very least will have the highest Heisman
Trophy finish ever by a linebacker. (Photo: Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports)

Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o waits for the snap during the second half of Notre Dame's 21-6 win over Boston College in a NCAA college football game in Boston Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. (Photo: Winslow Townson AP)

Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o leaves the field after his final game at Notre Dame Stadium, a 38-0 win against Wake Forest that helped propel the Irish to the No. 1 ranking for the first time in 19 years. (Photo: Matt Cashore, US Presswire)